Track-hazard indicator.



P. J. SIMMEN.

TRACK HAZARD INDICATOR, APPLICATION FILED Aue.2, ma.

1,241,776. Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

Inventor:

ram. J. sm'unn, or mmnmroms, INDIANA.

TRACK-HAZARD INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

Application med August 2, 1913. Serial No. 782,693.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I PAUL J. SIMMEN a citizen of the United tates,residing at ndianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track-HazardIndicators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the control of moving vehicles, and itsnovelty consists in the principles governing the operation of thedevices employed in the construction of such devices and theiradaptation to the peculiar urpose for which they areto be used.

The invention is applicable to all forms of moving vehicles which areunder the control of an operator, via, an engine driver on a locomotive,a motor man on a trolley car or a chauffeur on an automobile, and thepurpose of the invention is to guide the operator inthe performance ofhis duties by providing him with an automatic indication of the s eedpermissible along the line of travel and t e hazards which pertainthereto. All vehicles of the class described are provided with ,a brakeor some similar device by which the vehicle can be retarded. My urposeis to indicate the permissible spee so that the brake may be employed bythe opererator under service conditions within all limits of safety orexpediency, but when such conditions are exceeded that such controlshall be taken away from the o erator and the vehicle suflicientlyretarded or stopped altogether so as to prevent disaster. In the accomlishment of the end sought there is rovi ed on the vehicle withint eoperators range of vision an actual speed indicator so that he may notewhat the actual rate of speed of the vehicle is. There is also providedwithin his range of vision a permissive speed indicator so that he mayknow at all times what is the maximum speed permitted b the vehicle; andthere is further provi ed what may be called a track hazard indicator bywhich there is disclosed the difierent hazards alon the right of waywhich affect or should a feet the speed, such as bridges,gradecrossings, dangerous curves, yard limits, passa es through enselypopulated districts and t e like. This track hazard indicatoi isprovided with means for automatically var ing the position of thepermissive speed in icetor to show the predetermined permissible speedat all of the indicated hazards.

Enough has been said to disclose the nature of the invention, and apreferred form of its embodiment will now be described, reference beinghad to the accom anying drawing in which Figure 1 is a p an of aconstruction embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevationthereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view of the indicator dial;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the valve air ounted in suitable bearings12 at any con venient place on the vehicle is a shaft 13 rotated fromthe axle 11 by power-transmitting mechanism indicated at 14, and securedonthe shaft is an actual speed indicator in the form of a centrifugalgovernor 15 but which comprises a collar 16 slidable on the shaft 13 andprovided externally with annular teeth 17 forming in effect a rackadapted to mesh with a pinion 18 rigidly secured on a hollow. shaft 19on which is rigidl mounted in turn a hand or pointer 20 a apted to bemoved in front of a dial 21 graduated circularly in terms of miles perhour or some other suitable notation.

A solid shaft 25 runs through the hollow shaft 19 and is adapted torotate in hearings on the same center. Rigldly'secured to the shaft 25but insulated therefrom by a bushing 26 is a contactor comprising aradial arm 27 and a laterally projecting bar 28,

the end 29 of which is made of insulating material. Loosely mounted onthis same shaft is a needle or pointer 30 which may be called thepermissive speed indicator pointer and which is moved infront of thedial 21. An electric conductor 31 runs from this pointer to a. batteryindicated at 32, and a second electric conductor 33 runs to the samebatte from the non-insulating portion of the ar 28. p

A usual train air pipe 34 passes through a box 35 located at aconvenient place on the vehicle and which box contains a valve 36adapted to open and close the pipe and which is operated by a solenoid37 mounted in the box, the parts being so arranged that the band 40.

when the solenoid is energized the valve is closed, and when it isdenergized the valve is opened and the air escapes through a port 38 inthe box 35 and the brakes are "Set'tO retard or stop the vehicle. Theconstrue tion and mode of o eration of an air-brake system of thiskindis well understood. The solenoid 37 is'in circuit with the battery 32and conductors 31 and 33.

Arranged at a convenient place Within the vehicle and'preferably withinthe range of vision'of the operator 'is 'what is termed a track-hazardindicator comprising a band 40 of flexible material. removably mountedupon and adapted to bewound upon and unwound from a pair of rollers '41and 42,

one of which is moved from a power-transmitting mechanism indicated at43receiving its power from the samesource and at the same rate as thatwhich transmitspower to 'the actual speed indicator. A suitable clutchindicated at 44 serves to promote the proper engagement of the mechanismand by actuating one or the other of the rollers 41 and 42 to reversethe direction ofmovement of;

The upper edge of the band 40 is arranged in profile varying in distancefrom a maximum at the uppermost level 45 to thelowermost level 46. Alongits lowermost edge it is preferably graduated to indicate milestraveled. The depth of the profile is arranged to correspond with t hepermissive speed of the vehicle at difi'erent pointsalong the line oftravel, the maximum level. corresponding to a maximum speed, the minimumlevel to minimum speed and the inter:

mediate levels to intermediate speeds. The

Arran'ed to contact with the upper or profile ge ofthe band 40 is aroller 50 at the lower end of a rack bar 51 theteeth of which areadapted to mesh with theteeth of a pinion 52 rigidly-mounted on theshaft 25, so that as the rack-rises and falls as the band with itsprofile of variable level passes under and in rollin contact with thetrolley' 50 the shaft 25 1s oscillatedand ,conse-.:

Luentlypthecontactor 27 is oscillated. rim coptactor 27 moves to theleft. or right,

the permissive speed indicator pointer 30ismoved with it, actual contactpromoting vention.

1.24;,770 I I r such movement to the left and a sp-ing 53 between themsecuringit to the r1g-.1t.

Now, so long as the actual speed indicator pointer 20 is-to the left ofthe pointer 30, that is, so long as the actual speed of the vehicle is.below the permissive speed, nothing happens, but the moment the actualspeed exceeds such permissive speed the pointer 20 isbrought intocontact with the insulated portion 29 of the arm 28. on the contactor 27and breaks the contact between the conducting portion of such arm andthe pointer 30.

and 33'is broken, the air valve of thebrake system is opened, the airescapes and the brakes are automatically applied to retard or stop thevehicle. a

Consequently, the circuit through the arms 20 and 30, conductors I31That is, if at any time the operator ,fails to kecp'his actual speedbelowthe permissive speed, as indicated b the position of -the pointer30, then the ve icle isautomatically retarded or stopped. He has controlof his speed at all times within le timate A limits, but the control isautomatical y taken away from him as soon as hisspeed'exceeds thepermissible. The extent and duration of the permissive speed isdetermined by the nature of the profile on the band 4=0.

It is obvious that variations maybe made in' the mechanical detail ofthe device, without departing from the rinciples of the in.

The precise, orm of the trackhazard indicator is not material. It maybein the form of a circular difik with the prop profile on its edge andthetrolley 50 contactmg therewith (see Fig. 5).; it may, where the lengthisto be desired, assume the form of a spiral flange projected fromarevoluble cylindrical hub with the profileon the edge of the flange(see Fig, 6); but in whatever formrit may be made, it must becapableofbeing removably' secured to the vehicle The deviceaffords a positivedirect control of the speed on ayrun under operative conditions withoutany external signal or despatching system. Itmay be suitably combinedwith such systems or timing systems .a1so, but

[these ,must, ofnecessity, be outside of the scope of this description.While the invention has been described as ing vehicles which are notunderthe control of, an operator without varying from the princi les ofthe particular invention for contro ling the speed.v

The track-hazard indicator has also been described as .of a form inwhich the maximum speed indication corresponds with the upper edge ofthe moving band. Of course it will heunderstoodlthat this could bereversed and thatithe minimum speed indication might correspond withsuch upper edge particularly upplicable to a moving vehicle under thecontrol of an operatorf t is. very easily conceivable'that the apparatusis applicable to move.-

and the maximum indication with a lower level of the band.

The device which forms the sabject-matter of this application has beendescribed all throughout the specification as a track-l1azard indicator,and reference has been made to its use with moving vehicles, andimpliedl with those which move along a track. It wil of course beunderstood that the invention is equally applicable to a moving vehiclewhich does not move along a track, and inthat case possibly the term ofway hazard indicator would be more appropriate for the particular devicein question; but it is thought that no misunderstanding can arise fromthe use of the word ,track in connection. with the device described.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a vehicle, of variable indicating mechanismcarried thereby and continuously controlled by and operating inaccordance with the movement of the vehicle alon the route forautomatically iii-- dicating di erent speeds permissive along said routeaccording to the hazards at the different points, t'raflic controllingmeans,

and mechanism for automatically effecting the movement of the tralliccontrolling means when the speed of the vehicle exceeds the indicatedpermissive speed.

2. The combination with a vehicle, of means carried thereby forautomatically indicating at every moment for every point alon its lineoftravel 'a permissible speed for tc vehicle and including vehicle-carriedmechanism for automatically varying said )ermissive speed indicationaccording to the iazards along the route, and means adaptedautomatically to retard or stop" the vehicle if such permissible speedis exceeded.

3. The combination with a vehicle of an actual speed indicator, apermissive speed indicator, a track-hazard indicator and an operativeconnection between the latter and the permissive speed indicator, andmeans for automatically retarding the vehicle when its actual speedexceeds its permissive speed as displayed by the track-hazard indicator,

4:. The combination with a vehicle of an actual speed indicator, apermissive speed indicator, a track-hazard indicator and. operativeconnection between the latter and the permissive speed indicator, andmeans for automatically retarding the vehicle when its actual speedexceeds its permissive speed as displayed by the track-hazard indicator,all carried on the vehicle.

5. The combination with a vehicle of an actual speed indicator, apermissive speed indicator, a track-hazard indicator and means operatedfrom the latter automatically to vary the position of the permissiveindicator in accordance with the indicated hazards, and means forautomatically retarding the vehicle when its actual speed exceeds itspermissive speed, as displayed by the track-hazard indicator.

6. The combination with a vehicle of an actual speed indicator, apermissive speed indicator, a track-hazard indicator and operativeconnection between the latter and the permissive speed indicator, andmeans for automatically retarding the vehicle when its actual speedexceeds its permissive speed as displayed by the track-hazard indicator,all carried on the vehicle. i

7. The combination with the running gear of a vehicle of a device forindicating its actual speed operated from such running gear, atrack-hazard indicator indicating the permissible speed of the vehicleat all times andan operative connection between it-ancl the running gearof the vehicle, a brake sys tem and means brought into operation toactuate it to retard the vehicle when the actual speed indicator and thetrack-hazard indicator assume predetermined relations.

8. The combination with a vehicle and a brake system therefor, of anactual speed indicator, a permissive speed indicator and a track-hazardindicator, the latter being at the same time a GOIllZIOllOI,fOI thepermissive speed indicator and means whereby whenever the permissivespeed indicator and so tual speed indicator are in certain predetermined relations the brake sysem is put into operation automatically toretard or stop the vehicle.

9. The combination with. a vehicle and a brake system therefor, of anactual speed indicator, a permissive speed indicator and a track-hazardindicator, the latter being at the same time a controller for thepermision sive speed indicator and means whereby whenever the permissiv'e speed indicator and actual speed indicator are in certainpredetermined relations the brake system 15 put into operationautomatically to retard or stop the vehicle, in furlher combination witha second device adapted to be moved in accordance with the actual speedof the vehicle and which second device is adapted to actuate a secondpointermoving over the same dial.

10. The combination with a vehicle, of a. track hazard indicatorprovided with a profile corresponding to the varying speedspermissible-along the route, means for moving the indicatorproportionately to the extent of travel of the vehicle, and trafliccontrolling means adapted to be automatically controlled by thevariations in the profile of,

said indicator.

11. The combination with a vehicle, of traflic controlling means,mechanism for actuating said traflic controlling means when the actualspeed of the vehicle exceeds a. predetermined permissive speed, andmeans carried by the vehicle for determining said permissive speed atwhich the actuating mechanism shall become operative and initiating andcfi'ecting changes to said permissive speed according to the hazardsalong the route.

12. The combination with a vehicle, of traflic controlling means,mechanism for actuating said traflic controlling means when the actualspeed of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined permissive speed, and meanscarried by the vehicle for determining said permissive speed at whichthe actuating mechanism shall become operative and changing it accordingto the hazards along the route, said determining means including ahazard indicator mounted on the vehicle and means for moving itproportionately to the movement of said vehicle.

13. The combination with a. vehicle, of traffic controlling means,mechanism for actuating said trafiic controlling means when the actualspeed of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined permissive speed, and meansmounted on the vehicle and controlled by the movement thereof forautomatically determining a plurality of said permissive speeds.

14. The combination with a vehicle, of a traffic controlling means,mechanism for ac tuating said trafiie controlling means when the actualspeed of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined permissive speed, and meansmounted on the vehicle and controlled by the movement thereof forautomatically determining a plurality of successive permissive speedsaccording to the hazards along the route.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PAUL J. SIMMEN.

Witnesses:

W. L. FISHER, S. A. PARCHMUT.

